A succession plan appears to be in place after a year of a strained relationship between President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, according to reports.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo is in line to take over as the nation's top diplomat "within the next several weeks," The New York Times says, citing senior White House officials. Other reports say the timing is unclear.

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Trump ally Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) would replace Pompeo in Foggy Bottom, according to the officials who wished to remain anonymous before the decisions are announced.

During a morning meeting with the crown prince of Bahrain, the president responded to shouted questions about whether he wanted Tillerson on the job, saying "He's here. Rex is here." White House press secretary Sarah Sanders later said Tillerson "continues to lead the State Department" and had no personnel announcements.

But Vanity Fair, citing current and former State Department employees, confirmed the succession plan with administration officials. The Associated Press and CNN also said it is being discussed.

"The working knowledge here is that Tillerson will be leaving in late January and Pompeo will be coming in as quickly as he can following that," a current staffer told Vanity Fair.

Tillerson, a political novice and former CEO of ExxonMobil, has a rocky relationship with the Trump as the pair often send opposing messages to allies. There are also multiple reports of morale issues within the State Department, which is experiencing a period of heavy turnover.

A State Department staffer told Vanity Fair he wasn't sure about the rumors, but he welcomed the plan.

"The succession thing to me is just chatter at the moment,” they said. “I hate to say it, but I think almost anything would be better than what we have. It is just where the bar is.”